Date and place of birth: 21 November 1937, Batavia, Indonesia. Widower with three children

Education:

St. Aloysius College, The Hague
Law degree, University of Leiden
The Hague Academy of International Law
LLM, Harvard Law School
Doctorate in law (cum laude), University of Leiden

Career:

22 October 1963: joined the diplomatic service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Postings:

1964-1970: Brussels, Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the European Communities
1970-1973: Buenos Aires
1973-1976: East Berlin
1976-1982: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague
1982-1986: Brussels, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to NATO
1986-1989: Ankara, Ambassador
1989-1992: Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague
1 October 1992:Brussels, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the European Union

From 1 January 2003: Partner, Praaning Meines Consultancy Group

Other positions:

Chairman, Foreign Service Association (1978-1982)
Member of the Executive Board of the Fondation Journalistes en Europe
Member of the Supervisory Board, Hotel School, The Hague,
Chairman of the Advisory Board, Energy Charter Secretariat
Member of the Board of Trustees of the European Centre for Work and Society
Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Tilburg

Publications:

Non-recognition and Treaty Relations (1968), Sijthoff, Oceana Publications
Articles on the Common Market, European political cooperation, NATO and various other political matters